Illinois Survey of Critical Technologies

Concept Definitions

Biosciences

ASTROBIOLOGY

The scientific study of life in the universe – its origin, evolution, distribution, comparability to Earth and human habitation, and future prospects.

BIOMATERIALS

Synthetic or natural materials that can replace or augment tissues, organs or body functions.

BIOMECHANICS

The use of the principles of mechanics to explore and engineer solutions to biological problems.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

The use of microorganisms, live plant or animal cells or their parts to create new
products or to carry out biological processes aimed at genetic improvement for the benefit of people.

NATURAL PRODUCTS

Chemical compounds, naturally produced in plants or by microbial species that are
harvested for use in health care and drug development.

RECOMBINANT DNA

DNA that has been altered by joining genetic material from two different sources
to study the expression of a gene.

Environmental and Energy Technologies

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Study of alternative ways to produce energy for both stationary (e.g. power plant) and non-stationary (e.g. automobiles and aircraft) applications. Alternative fuel sources include wind and solar power, hydrogenated biofuels, and fuel cell, among others.

BIOREMEDIATION

The processes by which naturally occurring or modified organisms act to degrade or transform hazardous organic contaminants.

FUEL CELL

Devices for generating electrical energy directly from chemical energy. It differs from a battery in that the chemicals are not stored in the cell. Rather, they are fed into it as power is needed.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY

Industrial technologies and applications modified to reduce, prevent, or eliminate
environmental damage.

Human Health and Development

BIODEFENSE

Use of various biotechnologies to respond to the intentional use of pathogens
(bioterrorism) by detecting, identifying, assessing, and neutralizing pathogens.

BIOINFORMATICS

Use of computers in biology-related sciences to organize, interpret, and predict
biological structure and function. Bioinformatics is usually applied in the context of analyzing DNA sequence data.

GENE THERAPY

Introducing a normal, functional copy of a gene into a cell for the purpose of correcting defective, disease-causing genes.

GENOMICS

The study of an organism’s full complement of genes to enable understanding of their expression and sequencing.

PROTEOMICS

The study of the totality of proteins in an organism. Studying the form and functions of proteins with the aid of supercomputers complements the scientific advances being made by the mapping of the genomes.

STEM CELLS

The study and application of undifferentiated (stem) cells that can be grown and maintained to differentiate into a variety of different cell types with select biological functions.

Information Technology and Communications

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Computers and hardware that can make intelligent decisions based on sensory
feedback.

ALGORITHMS

A finite set of step-by-step instructions for problem solving or computational procedures, especially ones that can be implemented by a computer.

DATA WAREHOUSING AND MINING

The process of collecting, processing, filtering, extracting and refining
useful knowledge from large databases.

GRAPH THEORY

The study of graphs either for their own sake or as models of such diverse things as groups (in pure mathematics) or computer networks.

MODELING COMPLEX NONLINEAR SYSTEMS

Systems which are not characterizable by linear or first-order equations, but are governed by any variety of complex, reciprocal relationships or feedback loops.

QUANTUM COMPUTING

Information processing that can be performed only by harnessing physical
phenomena unique to quantum physics, with performance expected to exceed a billion times faster than today’s most powerful supercomputer.

Materials Science and Advanced Manufacturing

BIOPOLYMERS

Polymeric material produced from or by biological sources, for example, biodegradable plastics that are synthesized by living organisms.

CELESTIAL MINING

The search for, excavation and processing, or essential elements and materials on
extra-terrestrial bodies (planets, asteroids, etc).

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Development and use of materials, structures, or devices that have a size of less
than 2000 nanometers. Production of devices on this small scale saves space and resources, resulting in improved effi ciency and processing speed.

SMART MATERIALS

Materials that have imbedded sensors and actuators so that they can sense and react to their environments.

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Summary Report Executive Summary Preface Summary of Findings Research Methodology What Teachers Told Us Survey Items Concept Definitions	Concept Definitions Biosciences ASTROBIOLOGY The scientific study of life in the universe – its origin, evolution, distribution, comparability to Earth and human habitation, and future prospects. BIOMATERIALS Synthetic or natural materials that can replace or augment tissues, organs or body functions. BIOMECHANICS The use of the principles of mechanics to explore and engineer solutions to biological problems. BIOTECHNOLOGY The use of microorganisms, live plant or animal cells or their parts to create new products or to carry out biological processes aimed at genetic improvement for the benefit of people. NATURAL PRODUCTS Chemical compounds, naturally produced in plants or by microbial species that are harvested for use in health care and drug development. RECOMBINANT DNA DNA that has been altered by joining genetic material from two different sources to study the expression of a gene. Environmental and Energy Technologies ALTERNATIVE FUELS Study of alternative ways to produce energy for both stationary (e.g. power plant) and non-stationary (e.g. automobiles and aircraft) applications. Alternative fuel sources include wind and solar power, hydrogenated biofuels, and fuel cell, among others. BIOREMEDIATION The processes by which naturally occurring or modified organisms act to degrade or transform hazardous organic contaminants. FUEL CELL Devices for generating electrical energy directly from chemical energy. It differs from a battery in that the chemicals are not stored in the cell. Rather, they are fed into it as power is needed. GREEN TECHNOLOGY Industrial technologies and applications modified to reduce, prevent, or eliminate environmental damage. Human Health and Development BIODEFENSE Use of various biotechnologies to respond to the intentional use of pathogens (bioterrorism) by detecting, identifying, assessing, and neutralizing pathogens. BIOINFORMATICS Use of computers in biology-related sciences to organize, interpret, and predict biological structure and function. Bioinformatics is usually applied in the context of analyzing DNA sequence data. GENE THERAPY Introducing a normal, functional copy of a gene into a cell for the purpose of correcting defective, disease-causing genes. GENOMICS The study of an organism’s full complement of genes to enable understanding of their expression and sequencing. PROTEOMICS The study of the totality of proteins in an organism. Studying the form and functions of proteins with the aid of supercomputers complements the scientific advances being made by the mapping of the genomes. STEM CELLS The study and application of undifferentiated (stem) cells that can be grown and maintained to differentiate into a variety of different cell types with select biological functions. Information Technology and Communications ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Computers and hardware that can make intelligent decisions based on sensory feedback. ALGORITHMS A finite set of step-by-step instructions for problem solving or computational procedures, especially ones that can be implemented by a computer. DATA WAREHOUSING AND MINING The process of collecting, processing, filtering, extracting and refining useful knowledge from large databases. GRAPH THEORY The study of graphs either for their own sake or as models of such diverse things as groups (in pure mathematics) or computer networks. MODELING COMPLEX NONLINEAR SYSTEMS Systems which are not characterizable by linear or first-order equations, but are governed by any variety of complex, reciprocal relationships or feedback loops. QUANTUM COMPUTING Information processing that can be performed only by harnessing physical phenomena unique to quantum physics, with performance expected to exceed a billion times faster than today’s most powerful supercomputer. Materials Science and Advanced Manufacturing BIOPOLYMERS Polymeric material produced from or by biological sources, for example, biodegradable plastics that are synthesized by living organisms. CELESTIAL MINING The search for, excavation and processing, or essential elements and materials on extra-terrestrial bodies (planets, asteroids, etc). NANOTECHNOLOGY Development and use of materials, structures, or devices that have a size of less than 2000 nanometers. Production of devices on this small scale saves space and resources, resulting in improved effi ciency and processing speed. SMART MATERIALS Materials that have imbedded sensors and actuators so that they can sense and react to their environments.

Summary Report